[translation翻訳] I would like to share a part of sermon from this morning with you. Some of you might know this already, but I thought this message will encourage Christians who live in Fukushima.
This is about the history of Fukushima. Ｏne legend suggests that a Christian feudal lord, Uzisato Gamo (in 16th Century of Japan), named this place Fukushima. Uzisato came to faith in Christ through the feudal lord, Ukon Takayama, and was baptized. When Uzisato was a boy, he was a hostage to the warlord, Nobunaga Oda, but eventually Nobunaga acknowledged Uzisato’s potentiality. When Uzisato was emerging as a capable feudal lord, Honnoji Incident (the assassination of Nobunaga by one of his principal generals) occurred. After the death of Nobunaga, Uzisato got on Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s bad side, and Hideyoshi cast Uzisato down to Tohoku region. Uzisato cried over Hideyoshi’s ill treatment. Uzisato thought that his life was almost over as living in Tohoku, far away from the capital. But Uzisato bounced back as his perspective has changed. He began to believe that God had chosen him and called to be in that land. He was convinced that God had a reason to call him to live in that land. Every morning, Uzisato went up to the mountain and prayed. “My God, please bless people in this land. Do not curse nor abandon this land, rather please cover this land by your grace.” Then, he intended to call the name of the place with blessings, so he changed the name of the place as “Fukushima (meaning the island of blessings )”. He poured out his heart before the Lord praying for Fukushima, delivered the love of God through his life and took a good care of his subordinates. It is not well known fact, but I want to remind you of this. At one point, one third of the population of his clan were baptized and became Christians. Churches were built and Fukushima became one of the foremost Christian kingdoms in Japan. We really don’t know the origin of the name, “Fukushima,” but it sounds to me “the island of the Gospel (Fukuin).” I am speechless in the face of people in Fukushima who are in various, dreadful difficulties (the earthquake, tsunami, nuclear accident and harmful rumor) . But I am so touched by the fact that prayers have been prevailing throughout generations. I will keep on praying for people in the land of Fukushima.
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無言，唯有朝著屬靈意義去0念。
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